Franklin gets reprieve from oversized radio tower

A radio tower that caused an outcry in Franklin because of its height — 471 feet — and its location — on the outskirts of town, in a residential area — won’t be built there after all.

Instead, following a meeting of town, Macon County representatives and the state Highway Patrol, the tower will be placed near the Welcome Center several miles south of town on U.S. 441, Town Manager Sam Greenwood said.

It also will be shorter than originally proposed, just around 300 feet, he said, because the new location south of town is a better all-around site.

The state Highway Patrol had proposed erecting the tower just off U.S. 28 on Ivar Street.﻿